New poll in Maine: Voter support for same-sex marriage increasing

The Maine People’s Resource Center has released the results of a new public opinion poll of likely Maine 2012 voters, and shows support for marriage equality has increased to 58 percent, with opposition about 40 percent.

The poll shows a slight increase in support since a Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey last month showed 54 percent of voters supporting same-sex marriage.

Maine’s legislature passed a marriage equality law in 2009 to give same-sex couples the right to marry, but in a state-wide ballot referendum that echoed California’s Proposition 8, nearly 53 percent of Maine citizens voted against same-sex marriage, reversing the legislative decision before the law took effect.

Advocates have since gathered the required number of verified signatures to put the issue of back on the November 2012 ballot — if approved by voters, Maine could become the first state to approve same-sex marriage through a popular vote.